by CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
COBDEN — A trailer camp owner questions if a child has to die before Muskrat Lake is taken seriously and is cleaned up.
Louise Deschambault, who owns Bona Vista Campground with her husband Bob, said they have lost 10 seasonal residents because of the poor condition of Muskrat Lake.
“I’ve lost more seasonal residents this year because of the lake’s condition,” she said, adding, “Especially ones with children.”
While the couple have done various upgrades to the property since purchasing it in April 2005, the lake has deteriorated since then.
“About seven years ago it started to get really bad,” Ms. Deschambault said. “When we bought the property in April 2005, the lake was good.”
While Ms. Deschambault has attended meetings, as well as hosted them, regarding Muskrat Lake, it wasn’t until she realized her business was in jeopardy that she’s become more upset than usual about the issue.
When there is an algae bloom in Muskrat Lake, there is no swimming allowed, she said. In the past few years, it’s happened early in the summer. This year it didn’t happen until Labour Day Weekend, she said.
And it’s not only that the residents can’t swim in the lake, they can’t even enjoy their trailers, or the beautiful park, because the stench is horrible, Ms. Deschambault said.
“We were sitting outside on our deck with some neighbours one day, and all of a sudden there was such a stench,” she recalled from earlier in the summer. “It was the algae bloom.”
How are they to continue to operate a summer campground when the children can’t swim in the water or the people enjoy sitting on their decks, she said.
“What’s going to happen to our investment,” Ms. Deschambault said. “It cost us $70,000 to put in the heated, salt-water pool.”
She is aware that concerned residents have made presentations to the Township of Whitewater Region council on how to clean up Muskrat Lake, because she has spoken with both men, Donald E. Broome and Don Deere, as well as attended the Muskrat Watershed Council meetings.
“What is this council going to do,” she questioned. “This is their community as well as ours. Are they going to wait for a child to die? It’s not our responsibility to clean up the lake.
“Who better than our municipal council to go after the government,” she stated.
And while Ms. Deschambault admits it’s not the municipal council’s responsibility to clean up the lake, it is each council members’ responsibility to continuously keep their fingers on the various federal and provincial ministries that are responsible for the clean-up of Muskrat Lake.
“Our taxes just went up again,” she said. “Our resale value is minimal. When I asked for a reduction on our taxes, I was told no by MPAC (Municipal Property Association Corporation).”
She noted since 2005, the property taxes have increased to $5,500 from $500.
Ms. Deschambault noted several upgrades have been done to the camp since purchasing it in 2005, including stopping the sewage from going into the lake; planting trees every year; having a salt-water pool installed and cleaning up the beach area. She noted an alarm system has been installed on the campground’s septic system to warn them if something is wrong with it before it becomes a problem.
“When we bought the campground back in 2005, we didn’t realize how run down it was,” she said.
While fingers have been pointed at the farmers for putting phosphates into the water system allowing the lake to become polluted, she noted in recent years the farmers have stepped up to the plate and cleaned up their act. Farmers are becoming educated on what they can do to ensure they aren’t polluting, she said.
“The federal and provincial governments need to step up now,” she said. “Our governments send all kinds of money overseas. Why are they going to allow our children to die,” she questioned. “Our children are priceless. If one died because of the lake, I would lose it.
“It’s like having a bullet aimed at their health,” she added.
The campground employees keep a watchful eye on the beach area to ensure children aren’t going into the water when there is an algae bloom, Ms. Deschambault said.
While she advises those who want to come to the campground they can’t swim in the lake, but there is a pool they can swim in, many say, “We have a pool at home.”
Ms. Deschambault recalled when local landowner organization president Donna Burns organized a meeting at the campground and had a lawyer come and talk about the situation. The lawyer said in order to get action, it may be necessary to sue the local council, which would then provide financial means to sue the federal and provincial agencies.
There have been cases where councils and agencies were sued and the cases were won, she said.
While she has spoken to members of the former municipal council when they were on council, she hasn’t yet spoken to the current slate of council members.
“I’ve not gone after this council,” Ms. Deschambault said, adding, “I’m watching and listening. They’re new on board. But, after this email, if I have to, I will phone each council member every day.”
The email she is referring to, is from a new seasonal resident who wanted to bring his family to the campground. However, when he found out about the lake situation, he was concerned for his son’s health. If Ms. Deschambault could not guarantee the boy could go swimming in the lake safely, then coming to the campground was out of the question.
“People come here with such high hopes of swimming in the lake, and there’s nothing positive about Muskrat Lake,” she said.
